Fresco Fragment 987

Adam Tabeling is a Ph.D. candidate in the Interdepartmental Classical Art and Archaeology program. Having finished his honors thesis entitled, “An Iconographical Study of Helen and Paris Alexandros in Etruscan Art” at the University of Colorado in 2011, Adam has continued his interest and research in iconography of the Greco-Roman world, mainly of relief sculpture. He recently gave a paper at the University of Freiburg on the Cancelleria Reliefs and is currently writing a monograph on the friezes of the Siphnian Treasury at Delphi. Aside from relief sculpture, Adam focuses on the topography of Rome, civic architecture and the relationships between politics and art. He attended the American School of Classical Studies at Athens in the summer of 2013.

Accession Number: JHUAM 987

Measurements: Length: 10cm, Width: 9.8cm

Material: Paint, plaster

Culture/Date: Roman, 1st c. CE

Provenance: Italy

This fragment depicts an ornament, painted red and gold on a beige background. This ornamental motif is mysterious and has been the object of various interpretations. Some hypothesize that it is a fruit and others believe that it is a warrior’s helmet. What do you think it is?